Cama nurses summoned to take care of CM's ma-in-law

Prithviraj Chavan had allegedly sent an order asking three nurses of short-staffed government-run hospital to tend to his ailing and aged 'Maa Saheb'

Prithviraj Chavan had allegedly sent an order asking three nurses of short-staffed government-run hospital to tend to his ailing and aged 'Maa Saheb'

When the CM pulls out all stops to uproot nurses from an already short-staffed public hospital and make them tend privately to a patient, you know the latter must be a saheb of a special sort.

And indeed it is caregivers on the rolls of the government-run Cama & Albless hospital have been tending to none other than the chief minister's mother-in-law, reverentially addressed as Maa Saheb by Chavan.

Nurses caring for CM Prithviraj Chavan's mother-in-law revealed they help her walk around and check her blood pressure

On Wednesday, three nurses from the hospital were instructed to offer their services at the Chief Minister's bungalow.

Hesitant at first, the nurses eventually capitulated to the hospital authorities, and made the trip under duress.

A senior doctor on the rolls of the government hospital said, "It is against the norms to send our nurses to tend to any dignitary and offer their services privately.

But since the request came from none other than the CM's office, we could not muster the gumption to turn him down.

At times the administrative staff are deputed to various other departments and offices, but there has been no precedent for nurses being sent out to offer care at homes."

MiD DAY has a copy of the document that orders the services of three nurses from Came & Albless hospital be rendered at the CM's bungalow.

Dr Rajshri Katke, medical superintendent of the facility, said, "The dean of our hospital had sent the order, and I have no option but to comply.

The nurses are being deployed at the CM's bungalow for a few days to offer care to his mother-in-law."

Even after repeated attempts, Dr T P Lahane, dean of the JJ group of hospitals, could not be contacted for comment.

Nurses who have been ministering to Maa Saheb's needs revealed that the elderly woman uses a walker to move about.

"Apart from giving her medicines, helping her walk about, and checking her blood pressure, we don't have much work there," said a nurse, requesting anonymity.

Another nurse said, "We are already facing a staff crunch; when these nurses are sent out, others have to do double shifts to compensate for the crunch." CM Prithviraj Chavan was unavailable for comment.